Attobneys



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER FRALEY, OF GRAYSON, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND LEWIS PRIGHARD, OF SAME PLACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 267,177, dated November 7, 1882.

Application filed J une 20, 1882.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownfthat I, ALEXANDER FRALEY, oi' Graysou,in the countyot' Carter and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Iulprovemcnt in Bee-Hives, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying dran ings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the gures.

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation ot' my improvement. Fig. 2 is a sectional front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective View ot' a cover of one of the feed-box entrancechambers.

The object of this invention is to promote convenience in taking care of, wintering, and feeding bees.

The invention consistsin combining the parts of a hive, as hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

Upon the rear part of the body is placed a surplus-honey chamber, provided witll an eutrance-openin g in its rear side. Upon the forward part of the body Ais placed asliding frame, carrying afeed-trough divided into two feed-compari ments and two entrance-compartments by three partitions, and provided with covers for the entrance compartments and a main cover. The feed-trough is provided with a quadrantal cover hinged to the feed-trough frame, as will be herineafter fully described.

A is the body of the hive, thebottom of which projects in front, to form a ledge or platform, B, for the bees to alight upon and take iight from. In the lower edge ot' the front of the hive, upon each side of its center, are formed two openings, (J, to give access to the main or brood chamber. The entrance-openings C are separated by a triangular board, D, attached to the ledge B and the front of the hive, between the said openings. The brood-chamber of the hive is provided with comb-frames E,

4the projecting ends of the top bars of which rest in rabbets in the upper edges ofthe front and back of the said hive in the ordinary manner. The body A of the hive is also provided with a division-board, F, which has a strip attached to its upper edge with projectinga ends (No model.)

to rest upon the rabbets oi the front and back of the hive in the same manner as the combframes E. The division-board F can be placed in the center of the body A, so as to divide the said body into two compartments, each having an entrance-opening, C.

When it is desired to use the body A as a single compartment, the division-board F can be removed or can be placed against one of the side walls of the said body.

G is the surplus-honey chamber, which is made of the same width as the body A, but shorter, soas to leave the forward part ot' the top of the body A uncovered. To the lower parts of the side and rear walls of' the chamber G are attached cleats H, to overlap the sides of the body A, and thus keep the said upper hive-section in place. vided with comb-frames I, a cover, J, and has an entrance-opening, K, in the lower edge of' its rear side, which can be closed by a slide when not required for use. The upper hivesection, G, can be separated from the body A by a honey-board, L, when desired. Vhen the upper hive-section, G, is required to be connected with the brood-chamber, the honeyboard L is removed and placed upon the combframe I. With this construction the hive can be used for wintering three distinct colonies of bees, so as to obtain the advantage of the labors of three queens, or the division-board F and the honey-board L can be removed and the hive used for a single swarm.

M is the feed-trough, which is attached to a frame, N, of such a size as to lit upon and close the part of the body A left uncovered by the honey-box G. The lower sides of the front and side bars of the frame N are rabbeted to tit upon the top of the body A, and the said frame is secured to the side cleats, H, by hooks O, as indicated in Fig. 2 and shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The trough M is divided into two large middle compartments to contain the food and two small side compartments to serve as bee-passages by the central partition, P, and two side partitions, Q. The side partitions, Q, are made a little lower than the trough, to allow bees to pass over the said partitions when the trough is covered. The side com- The chamber Gr is pro- 4 partments of the trough M, when not required for use, are closed by covers R, which rest upon the upper edges of the side partitions, Q. The bottom 'of the trough M is formed ot sheet metal, and is finely perforatedto allow the food, when liquid food is used, to trickle down into the brood-chamber. In this case the side compartments or passages should be closed by the covers R. When a dry food is used the covers R should be removed to give the bees access to the feed-compartments.

When the brood-chamber contains two colonies a cover, S, of glassv or other suitable material, should be placed upon the trough M, so that the bees of each compartment can have a separate feed-compartment.

To the outer edge of the frame N is hinged the edge ot' a quadrantal cover, T, the free edge of which tits against the front of the honey-chamber G, so that the said cover T can be swung back, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, to give convenient access to the feed-trough M. With this construction the frame N and its attachments can be drawn back to allow the condition of the broodcham ber to be inspected without its being necessary to remove any part ofthe hive.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. A bee-hive constructed substantially as herein shown and described, and consisting of the body A, divided into two compartments by a division-board, F, and provided with two eutrance-openiugs, C, and a honey-board, L, the surplus-honey upper hive-section, Gr, provided with an entrance-opening, K, and the sliding frame N, provided Vwith a feed-trough, M, and a quadrantal cover, T, as set forth.

2. In a bee-hive, the combination, with the body A, of the feed-trough M, having perforated-bottom mounted upon a sliding frame, N, divided into two feed-compartments and two passages by partitions P QQ, and provided with covers It R S, substantially as herein shown and described, whereby the bees can be supplied with liquid or dry food, as set forth.

3. The combination, with the body A, the upper hive-section, G, the trough M, and the frame N, of the cover T, hinged to the outer edge of said fra-me and closing with its free edge aganstsaid chamber, whereby conven` ient access can be had to the trough, as described.

ALEXANDE It FRALEY.

Witnesses:

RICHARD i). DAVIS, THoMAs W. MrroHnL. 

